Posts made in April, 2014

Federal and state laws and the combined efforts of the government and the private sector in searching for ways to increase safety on the road are finally bearing good results, as these have made motor vehicle manufacturers more resolute in researching for technologies that will make driving a much safer experience for all drivers.

The year 2013 already saw the introduction of a number of innovative features, such as the:

V2I – designed to enable cars to capture information from road signs and traffic signals

V2V – a technological device that will allow wireless communication between cars. By sharing information, like direction, location and speed, drivers will be able to keep a safe distance from approaching and nearby vehicles, thus ensuring avoidance of collision

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) – a device that will give drivers greater vehicle control to avoid rollover accidents

Forward Collision Warning System and Automatic Braking – this device is specifically designed to help drivers avoid head-on collisions and front crashes

Booster Seat – which will ensure safety belts are effective, especially for children

More than half a dozen new devices are expected to become built-in features of certain upcoming cars; features that are expected to help reduce road crashes by up to 80%. Here are three of these innovative devices:

Rear-Mounted Radar – Besides alerting the driver of unseen objects, like a wall or a fence while backing up, this new feature will also sound an alarm if there is traffic approaching

Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection – Its major difference from the similar device that Cadillac offered in 2000 is its ability to pinpoint pedestrians and highlight the direction of their movement on a dashboard display. This improved version will first be incorporated in Mercedes-Benz vehicles

Parental control – This is the MyKey system of Ford which is capable of setting a limit to the vehicle’s speed and the volume of its audio system. MyKey can be programmed to make it limit the vehicle’s speed to 80 mph, as well as the audio’s maximum volume; it can also be made to sound incessant alarms if the seat belt is not fastened.

The latest innovations are usually introduced in luxury cars first, but these will definitely be incorporated in other vehicles immediately since the demands for these are expected to pour in. The greater concern is for these devices to function the way these were designed to, to make driving safer and US roads, as accident-free as possible.